Monkey Puzzle

Hello

We are on Vancouver Island on TWPs. (I know, we are so lucky. We love it here, have just bought a house and want to stayyyyyy! We even have a Canadian dog now so there's commitment. )

We are in the process of jumping through the 142 hoops required for fast-track (hopefully) PR through London.

Common law husband (geez, I don't like that but it's better than "partner") hates his job which is linked to his TWP, valid until April 2009. He's in IT and would love to do contract work through his own company as he did in the UK but he's stuck in this permanent role until we can get PR based on the job offer.

(I don't think it's relevant to go through down the "I'm immigrating to start a business" route as he has no intention of employing anyone else but himself!?)

We're a bit stuck when it comes to getting references from previous employers for the past 10 years. From Nov 2000-Nov 2006 (when we came to Canada as BUNACers) he ran his own IT consultancy, doing software development for numerous clients. These clients didn't employ him, his limited company did.

Does anyone know whether a letter from our old accountant outlining dates, details of yearly accounts filed, along with proof of VAT registration, etc would suffice for CIC instead of the usual contracts of employment and refs? We can provide payslips, although they were very informal! (Ie I typed them up on Excel.) You get the picture!

Thanks in advance to anyone who can help. I did have a look through previous posts and on the WIKI (which is fabulous) but couldn't see anything specific.

Jim Humphries

Letters from previous customers would do. They should show some pecifics of what work was done.

mzp

HI there,

I'm a contractor and supplied accounts for the past few years - actually think i handed over 4 or 5 years accounts to CHC London with our application along with addresses of lawyers and accountants. i didnt supply any letters from people I'd done work for.

we never got questioned about work so they seemed to accept our info.

hope this helps.

m

Monkey Puzzle

Oh, thanks to you both!

That's reassuring, mzp, thanks for sharing.

Perhaps we'll submit the accounts and if we can round up some of the customers, a letter or two, too!

One less worry ..thanks again.

SarahBC

Hi there,

My fast-track PR application is trundling along now, as my Work Permit also expires in April 2009.

For a lot of past 10 years, I was a contractor, employed through my limited company. I used an agency to source my contracts so I gave CHC London copies of my assignment confirmations as proof that I have worked for various people.

I couldn't get an employee reference for those jobs as I'd never been employed. CHC were quite happy with that evidence. Also, as you mentioned getting letters from individiuals is also a good idea.

Hope this helps,

Sarah

Brownstar

I;m in the process of putting my application together, do you only have to provide references for the past 10 years?

SarahBC

Hi there,

My references only went back 10 years. I missed one out that just scraped into the 10 year period, and CHC London picked up on it, and requested more info on that employer.

Someone else may know this: does it stipulate in the CIC instructions that they only need to go back 10 years? I remember looking, but not finding where it states 10 years in the application guide.

Hope this helps,

Sarah

Remember - follow the Fast Track Wiki, follow the Wiki.....

Brownstar

Thanks Sarah, I've been with my current employer for over 8 years now, transferred from the UK to Calgary earlier this year and my employer before that is no longer in existance. Do you reckon I should include a reference from my boss in the UK, even though I'm still effectively working for the same company?

I've read the fast track topic in the Wiki but I didn't find anything to cover this situation.

SarahBC

Hi,

I reackon a letter from your boss in the UK would be a good idea (I've been making this up as I go along, so I won't stop now!).

It might be a good idea if your UK boss could confirm the details that they want in your references e.g. beginning of employment, job title, benefits/salary etc. (Like it stipulates in the application guide).

Regarding the employer that no longer exists. I couldn't get a reference from one of my employers, so I sent a note stating that no reference was available, but attached a copy of my employment contract.

I've been hauling three quarters of a ton of paperwork through 5 house moves, and now I now why! Those old employment contracts are now worth their weight in gold.

Sarah

chumley

ive been struggling with this one

im providing solicitors letter showing purchase of business and sale of business
a couple of letters from customers and a selection of bills for goods supplied for each month i owned the busness and hope that will be enough?

we owned a pub/restaurant
not easy for self employed

jwsadler

Hi,

I am IT contractor in the UK going through the SW route. I just supplied current contract, some passed contracts, my CV, company reg info, registration and vat reg docs, pay advices from agencies, letter from accountants showing that company was bone-fide, invoices to and from the company and letter from the company signed by the company secretary (my wife) showing that the company was used as a vehicle for my consultancy services. We also supplied our personal accounts (6 months) which shows payments from my company. Hopefully this will be enough.

Regards,

James.

Monkey Puzzle

Thanks to everyone who replied. It seems there are a few of us in a similar boat!

I think I'll go through our records and make up a little dossier as "proof" of what we used the company for, using your examples.

(Can't imagine what it's going to cost to send this thing to London from Canada when it's eventually ready...might be better off getting a flight and delivering it by hand! )

Jim Humphries

Do not overload the visa office with paper though. A reasonable sample should suffice.

Monkey Puzzle

Thanks Jim ...are you a retired CIC employee or did I dream that?

Do you think that if there was more information needed for an PR application than initially sent then we would just receive a request for it? I have a horror of the whole thing just getting put to the back of the queue!

(What is not helping is that we are organising a mortgage for a property we are buying in 3 weeks time. The mortgage provider needs proof that our application for PR has been submitted by then so we're under a bit of pressure to gather everything we need quickly.)

Have you heard whether this "fast-track PR" is a reality at all? I have another horror of the envelope not even being opened by the London office for months.

As you can tell ..I am full of horrors right now!

Much obliged for your thoughts.